Our Choices Show what we Truly Are
by girlwitharose
Summary: What would have happened if both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had made a few different choices before their first year at Hogwarts? The rating may change as the series goes on.
1. Chapter 1: Madam Malkin's

**It Is Our Choices that Show what we Truly Are**

_What if Harry and Draco had made just a few different choices before their first year of Hogwarts?_

Harry and Hagrid had just returned from Gringott's, and Harry's pockets were heavy with the coins from his safe. He began to riddle Hagrid with more questions about the goblin-run bank, but his answers were short and non-descriptive; he was still recovering from nausea that the Gringott's mine cart afflicted him.

Harry still needed to buy all of his things for Hogwarts, so Hagrid sent him on his way to Madam Malkin's with a nondescript excuse to go to the Leaky Cauldron. He _was_ looking quite green.

Harry entered the robe shop apprehensively. It was the first time he'd been in the wizarding world alone, and he felt so unattached from everyone else, so uneducated. He walked around aimlessly for a minute or so until a short, stout witch approached him and introduced herself as Madam Malkin.

"Hogwarts, clear?" She asked before Harry could get a word in. He nodded his head, and she directed him to the back of the shop where she told him another Hogwarts student was getting fitted. The student had a pale, shrewd look to him and did not look like someone you'd want to cross.

Harry was about to go forth boldly and treat him as he would any other person, but then he stopped himself. _This is someone I'll be going to school with,_ he thought to himself. _I'd better not make a bad impression; he doesn't look like someone I'd want to be enemies with... _Horror stories flit through his mind, of going to Hogwarts to find everybody hated him, to walk the halls without a friend in sight. _The one place I was meant to fit into, and everybody hates me. I'd better be nice._

Harry slowly walked up to the other boy, and smiled timidly. The boy's eyes grazed over him, and then went back to his dress robes.

"Hello" The boy drawled at Harry. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," Harry replied too quickly. The boy's eyes sprung up to him again, quickly wondering how he should judge Harry.

The boy was about to say something else, but Harry started talking again. "I don't know anything about it, though, I feel so unprepared." He hoped he didn't say anything wrong.

"Muggle-born, eh?" The boy looked up at Harry with a snarl on his face.

"Oh no," Harry replied. "Both of my parents were wizards. I was just raised by Muggles."

A look of approval quickly flashed across the boy's face. And then he grimaced again.

"Raised by Muggles?" The boy gasped. "That must have been terrible!"

"Yeah, it was," Harry admitted. "They hate me."

"I couldn't imagine," The boy replied, rolling his eyes. "So what happened to your parents?"

"Dead," Harry replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry," The boy replied without much remorse in his voice. Harry was slightly taken aback, but then again he hadn't said it with much remorse either.

Madam Malkins then returned to the back room, and began to measure Harry for his robes. He and the boy continued their conversation.

"So you were forced to live with those terrible Muggles?"

"Yup. I would give anything to have grown up in the Wizarding world, I take it you have?" The boy nodded. "Gosh, you're so lucky. That must have been great."

The boy sported a huge smile, and began gloating. "You bet it was. You know what, you're alright. I take it you know the right sort of wizarding folks when you see them."

The boy held out his hand. "My name's Draco. Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you, Draco. I'm Har-"

Before Harry could finish, he and Draco heard a loud rapping noise outside of the shop. A man who looked quite similar to Draco with long, pale blond hair was standing there, looking annoyed.

"Oh, there's my father," Draco stated as he looked out the window. "I've got to leave. Meet me at Platform 9 ¾ at 10 o' clock so we can find a seat. It sounds like you'd need all the help you can get, what with being raised by Muggles and all."

"Yeah, sounds great," Harry replied fast, and then waved to him as he strode out the door with his new robes.

Harry looked down and smiled, underneath the eyes of Madam Malkins bustling around him. _I've finally made a friend._

Madam Malkin announced that she was done, much to Harry's surprise, and he gathered his robes, paid for them, and left the store. He looked forward to tell Hagrid the exciting news.

_Thanks so much for reading the first chapter! If you could critique it I would appreciate that so much. I'll add the next chapter once I get a few reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2: Hagrid's Grudge

Harry found Hagrid sitting outside Madam Malkin's robes shop with two ice creams: One for himself, and one for Harry. Harry was still smiling dorkily from meeting a new friend, and Hagrid caught on quick.

"What'cher smiling about, Harry?" He asked.

"Oh," Harry replied. "I just met another boy who's going to Hogwarts. He was nice, we're going to meet at the Train Station!"

"Blimey, I leave yer alone for a minute an' you already make a friend!" Hagrid chuckled. "Did yer catch his name?"

"Yes," Harry said. "It was… What was it… Malfoy? Draco Malfoy."

All of the blood drained out of Hagrid's face, and his bright smile melded into a stony expression.

"Oh, Harry, I wouldn' hang out with that crowd."

"What? Why?" Harry was bewildered. What could Hagrid have against him? He seemed perfectly nice.

"Bad blood, all o' them. Yer better than that lot, Harry, much better."

Harry was beginning to like Hagrid less and less as the conversation went by. His anger began to flare up.

"You don't even know him!" He replied tensely.

"Well, I know the kind well enough, I had to deal with 'em in my schooldays!" Hagrid said.

"An old school feud that you couldn't get over, Hagrid? I thought that you'd be better than that."

"An' I thought yeh'd be better than to make friends with a _Malfoy_!" Hagrid yelled.

Harry was about to yell back before he heard a loud _plop _in front of him. His long-forgotten ice cream had melted in the summer sun, and dropped off of his cone. Harry had crumbled it in anger. Hagrid looked down.

"You know what, Draco told me that I'd found the good crowd once I met him. I think that he was right. I should go now."

"Harry, I'm sorry. Here, I'll make it up to yeh, I can buy you a pet or-"

"Oh no, I'm just fine," Harry snapped back, and walked into the large crowds of Diagon Alley.

Hagrid dropped his huge hands to his sides, and let out a big sigh. He'd lost him.


	3. Chapter 3: The Wand Chooses the Wizard

**Chapter 4: The Wand Chooses the Wizard**

Harry dodged the relentless stares at his forehead and gasps as he spiraled his way through Diagon alley. Ever since he had made it to the Wizarding world, people had stared at him. At least with Hagrid he had a safety shield around him, but out in the open there was nobody there to stop the googly eyes and high expectations.

But he couldn't go back now. The one person that he thought would be nice to him turned out to be just as bad as the people he left behind in Surrey. The people with opinions stemming from nothing that he had done, only from their own history. Harry hadn't calmed down yet.

He decided to blow off some steam by shopping for the rest of his school inventory. Harry took a sharp right and found himself in front of a shop called Flourish and Botts. Judging by the tall windows filled to the brim with books, Harry thought he could find his schoolbooks there. He quickly strode through and bought the books he needed for Hogwarts, ignoring the murmurs about the 'Boy who lived' coming from the other customers. He also bought himself an enticing book named Curses and Counter Curses with a wicked grin, for his long, boring summers with Dudley, and then left. Harry then wandered around the Alley with purpose and found himself crystal phials, a telescope, brass scales, and a golden cauldron for the school year. He came out of the Diagon Alley pet shop with a jet-black cat with hair that stood on its end. She had a kind face, though.

Even though his fight with Hagrid ended over two hours ago, He still held a dark kernel of rage in his soul for him. Hagrid's attitude towards Harry's first friend reminded him all too much of his Aunt Petunia's attitude towards Harry. _Draco never did anything to hurt you, _he thought angrily. He thought that the wizarding world would have been different from the Muggle world, but it was no different. People held the same old grudges and had the same old expectations.

Harry walked on to acquire the last thing on his Hogwarts list: a wand. The Ollivander's wand shop was an ancient building; it looked as if it had stood there for centuries. He walked in and found himself alone.

"Good afternoon. I'm Mr. Ollivander." The voice seemed to come from the very air around him, and Harry jumped. In front of him an old man with eyes clear blue as water stood, smiling at him.

"Erm… Hello. I'm here to get my wand," Harry replied.

"Yes, yes…" The man said. "I expected you would be coming soon. You have your mother's eyes, you know. I remember the day she was in buying her wand. Ten and a quarter inches, swishy, willow. Great for charms."

"Uh huh…" Harry trailed off. Mr. Ollivander was beginning to creep him out. His orb-like eyes never blinked.

"Your father, on the other hand… Eleven inches. Pliable, Mahogany. Much better for Transfiguration."

Harry set his jaw. He was already angry before he came into the shop, and the shopkeeper's unnecessary ramblings were making him irritated.

Mr. Ollivander then brushed Harry's bangs aside, to Harry's recoil, and then sighed.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry to say I supplied the man that did that to you as well. Thirteen-and-a-half in—"

"May I please choose my wand, now?" Harry cut him off. Mr. Ollivander looked taken aback.

"Ah. Well. It is the wand that chooses the wizard, you know," he said wisely. Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. Mr. Ollivander looked at him with interested eyes.

"Yes. Let's get started, then," He added.

Harry was then asked to test out every wand given to him, which felt stupider and stupider as he went along. All the while Mr. Ollivander was muttering under his breath about different wands.

"Beech wood and dragon heartstring, perhaps? No.. No…" The shopkeeper said under his breath as he handed Harry different wands.

Harry was finally at the end of his tether. Mr. Ollivander handed him one last wand and he unleashed all of the energy he had been feeling the entire day with one swoop, effectively incinerating an entire shelf of wands. Mr. Ollivander gasped, and Harry was taken aback with the power. He lowered the wand and felt a tingling in his hand coming from the wand, warmth.

"Yes, yes, that would be the one," Mr. Ollivander said, gaining his posture. "That wand has chosen you, Harry. Holly and phoenix feather. Eleven inches, supple. Curious, Very curious…"

"W-what's curious?" Harry stammered, still staring at the former shelf of wands which had been reduced to a smoking pile of ash.

"The phoenix who supplied the feather for your wand gave one other feather during its lifetime, Harry," Mr. Ollivander said. The owner of that wand is very familiar to you, very familiar."

He pointed to Harry's scar. "He was the one who did that."

Harry was taken aback. Mr. Ollivander nodded.

"I should have seen such a thing coming, though. You two aver very alike, you know… Increasingly alike. And the things that he-who-must-not-be-named were great. Horrifying, yes— but great."

Harry didn't know what to say. For a minute he wished that Hagrid was there, but he buried that thought away quickly. Mr. Ollivander shook his head.

"Nevertheless, come up to the register to pay. I wish you luck, Harry Potter."

Harry left the wand shop with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. His wand tingled in his pocket.


	4. Chapter 4: King's Cross

_Longer chapter this time! Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews, I really appreciate all of them! I also appreciate if you point out any spelling/gramar mistakes, sometimes I get to writing really quickly and forget to reread for that._

Harry's last days of summer with the Dursley's were slow and monotonous. The only joy he got out of them were taunting Dudley with his newly acquired book, Curses and Counter curses. Every time he pulled it out Dudley covered his pig's tail instinctively, and called for his mom. Other than that, everybody treated him like he didn't exist at all. Even though it was nice to not hear them for a while, it got terribly lonely.

Harry spent most of his time in Dudley's old toy room, attempting to understand his textbooks and spending time with his new cat. He decided to name her Nox, the spell for darkness he found in his book. She was not just a normal cat, though. Harry should have known, buying her from Diagon Alley.

Nox appeared in Harry's room, carrying in a mouse with a pleased expression. She seemed to have appeared out of thin air, which was entirely possible. Harry scratched her chin, and she began to purr. _It's a good thing she's so stealthy, _Harry thought. _Aunt Petunia would not be happy if she saw her with a dead mouse._

Harry ambled down the stairs with Nox following close behind. She hadn't been with Harry long, but they had already formed a strong bond. He was the only one who treated her nicely in the house, anyways.

"Uncle Vernon," Harry asked once he had gotten to the living room.

Uncle Vernon grunted in response, his eyes still locked on the television. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that Hagridhad cursed Dudley, and Harry left with him.

"Could you drop me off at King's Cross station tomorrow at 9:30?"

"What, that—_man_—can't drop you off there too?" Uncle Vernon replied, referring to Hagrid. A little flame of their previous fight ignited back in Harry.

"No." He replied tersely. "Could you please just get me there? It's all I ask."

"Struck a nerve there, boy?" Uncle Vernon said, with an evil smile. "Fine, I'd be happy to get you out of this house, and your spiny little rat too," pointing to Nox.

Harry clenched his fists. Vernon was testing him, but he needed to keep his cool until he got to King's Cross.

"Thank you."

"I wouldn't be driving you if there wasn't another reason of me going, though," Harry's uncle added. "So don't think I'm going out of my way to get you to this crackpot of a school,"

"Charming as always," Harry muttered under his breath as he walked back up the stairs, Nox following close behind.

Harry woke up with a feeling of excitement and anxiety. _Finally, what I've been waiting for so long! _He thought to himself. He woke Nox up, who looked around sleepily before curling back up in Harry's suitcase, much to his dismay.

"No, silly Nox," Harry chuckled when she looked up at him reproachfully. He picked her up and put her back on the bed, and she looked around grumpily. "I need to have space to put my stuff."

He packed away his books and equipment in his suitcase, and added his robes in after second thought. He didn't want strange looks from Muggles in the train station.

After an hour passed and breakfast, Harry loaded his suitcase into the back of the Dursley's car, sat in the back seat with Nox and Dudley, and set off to London with Vernon driving. With the exception of frantic looks from Dudley and Vernon muttering under his breath, the inside of the car was motionless and silent. Harry sighed, and pet Nox, who purred in response.

The car arrived at King's Cross at 9:45, and the Dursley's stayed in the car. Uncle Vernon popped open the trunk and Harry pulled his suitcase out. He shut the trunk, and they drove away. Harry sighed with happiness, smiling at the train station. _I finally get to leave them and start my own life. _

He grabbed a trolley, loaded Nox and his suitcase on it, and headed towards the other side of the station where Platform 9 and 10 were. _I've never heard of Platform 9 and ¾ before, _Harry thought to himself, _But they must be between Platforms 9 and 10._

After making his way over to Platform 9, however, Harry was deeply confused. Standing before him were only platforms 9 and 10. He was about to ask a nearby guard, but he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You made it!" Draco called behind him. "Get here alright?" Harry turned around and smiled.

"Got in all sorts of problems with the Muggles," He admitted, "But yeah, I got here."

Draco made a pained face. "Happy to get away from them, I can imagine." Harry nodded in agreement.

"Hello," Another voice said, and the man in the window of Madam Malkin's appeared behind Draco.

"Hi," Harry said with a smile. The man seemed to be evaluating him. "Nice to meet you! I take it you're Draco's father? I'm Harry Potter."

The man wore a knowing grin. "Oh, I know exactly who you are, Potter." His tone made Harry uneasy.

Draco broke the awkward silence. "So, Harry, should we get to the station?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Harry replied. "How do we get there, exactly?" Draco smiled.

"Oh, I always forget, you were raised by Muggles," Draco said. Harry looked down. "It's just right through that brick wall!"

"Um… Excuse me?" Harry said.

"The wall's magical," Draco explained. "You can pass right through it. It's better to take a running start."

"Okay, cool," Harry replied. "Let's go!"

"Oh, _you _can go first, Potter," Draco's father said. "I wish to have a word with Draco." Draco rolled his eyes, and looked trapped.

"Alright…" Harry said. "Meet you in there, Draco?"

"Get a seat for us," He replied, then faced his father.

Harry took a running start at the wall, and before he knew it he was on another station. He looked up, and a golden sign stated that this was Platform 9 and ¾. He smiled, and headed towards the royal-looking train in front of him, smoke billowing from the smokestack.

Harry looked in awe of all of the young wizards around him with animals and wands just like him. He felt like he was right at home. Harry boarded the train, and found an empty compartment near a section where all of the other younger wizards were sitting. He looked out the window to see the hustle and bustle of the other wizards getting ready to leave for Hogwarts: A boy chasing a frog, a massive group of redheaded wizards in a frantic, a group of teenagers socializing. He was happy to be among him. The train station was emptying of people, and the clock noted that the train would be leaving soon. Harry hoped that Draco would be coming soon.

"Is this seat taken?" A boy with flaming red hair asked as he stood in the doorway, a frantic look on his face.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Harry replied. He looked out the window for Draco to come back.

"Alright," He said. The boy looked like he was about to say something else, but stopped himself and continued down the corridor.

Then, Draco raced down the corridor, found Harry, smiled, and sat across from him.

"You made it! Get here alright?" Harry joked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"My idiot father has problems with letting go," He explained. "He thinks that just because he had a rubbish time with someone that I'll have a rubbish time with whoever they're related too."

"Sounds exactly like Hagrid to me," Harry said, rolling his eyes in return.

Draco was about to say something, but the train sounded its horn that it was leaving. The wheels began turning, and all of the students stuck out there hands to bid a last goodbye to their parents.

"Finally, to Hogwarts!" Harry grinned stupidly.


	5. Chapter 5: Off to Hogwarts

_Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long wait before this chapter! I promise I'll try to update more frequently between chapters from now on. This is really just a short transition chapter, I'll have up a longer chapter soon._

The train finally ambled to a stop, and a voice rang out through the compartments that they had arrived. The ride had been long, and not much interesting had happened besides an encounter with two other first years who may have been the dumbest boys Harry had ever met, and a declaration of a lost frog from a bushy-haired girl, who looked nice enough if she wasn't such a know-it-all.

Although Draco had tried to keep a cool face through the whole ride, you could see slivers of his real excitement showing on his face. Harry, on the other hand, was giddily smiling from ear to ear. Robed and ready, he and Draco boarded off the train.

As they wandered through the crowd of first-years, Harry encountered the one thing that wasn't truly perfect about arriving at Hogwarts. Hagrid was back with a lantern, calling out through the crowd.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, come with me!" Harry couldn't help a groan escape as he looked down.

"What?" Draco asked, looking at Harry incredulously.

Harry made a signal at Hagrid. "Him," he said. Draco scowled in reply.

"Just ignore him. He's just the groundskeeper anyways, so at least you won't have to look at him all the time once we actually get to the school."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Hagrid finally noticed Harry as they clumped up with the other first-years, and half-smiled at him. "Alright, Harry?" He asked in a small voice. Harry pretended he didn't notice him.

Shaken by the obvious ignorance Harry had treated him with, Hagrid started his speech to the first-years shakily. "A-alright, Firs' years, follow me. Yeh'll all get your firs' sight of Hogwarts soon, just around the corner."

Various ooh's and ahh's spread among the crowd as they rounded the corner, Harry included. Draco couldn't even stifle a small gasp as they stared at the majestic castle before them.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called out once more, gesturing to the little rowboats drifting along the tide of the large lake situated in front of the castle. Harry and Draco hopped into one boat, followed by the two dumb boys they had encountered on the train, who introduced themselves as Crabbe and Goyle. Harry discreetly curled his lip in disgust, but Draco seemed to welcome them warmly. There was a sudden jolt, and the boats began to move. Crabbe fell over.

"An' we're off to Hogwarts!" Hagrid declared.


	6. Chapter 6: Sorting

Butteflies flew through Harry's stomach as they approached the majestic castle from the boats. The other first-years were equally as fidgety.

Hagrid surveyed the crowd and counted heads to make sure nobody was lost on the journey over, his eyes softening as they landed on Harry's head, still trying to make a truce with him. Harry knew that perhaps this grudge he had with Hagrid was verging on childish, but he kept his expression stony until Hagrid's eyes travelled onwards. Forgiveness didn't come easily with him.

Once Hagrid was content with the count, he turned forwards and knocked on the huge castle doors. Harry's butterflies turned into elephants as his heart pounded in his chest. He looked over to Draco, who smiled at him. His smile still looked condescending, but he could see the kindness underneath Draco's hard surface. He was his first wizard friend, after all.

"So I guess we'll go to the Sorting Hat first, to find out our houses," Draco explained, easing Harry's anxiety just a bit. It was helpful to know what was going on. Then, his heart pounded faster as a question mulled around his mind.

"So, what is that?" Harry asked nervously. "Do we have to do a spell for it, or something?" He silently cursed himself for not studying from his books more over the summer.

"Oh, no, no, definitely not," Draco replied, and Harry took a deep breath out. "My father told me that we just put on the hat, and then we get sorted from there. It's a magical hat after all,"

"Okay, good." Harry replied, and started to smile again. "No tests." Draco laughed in reply.

The door swung open, and a stern-looking woman in green robes peered over the incoming students.

"Professor McGonagall! The firs' years," Hagrid told the woman with a swinging hand gesture.

"Yes, thank you Hagrid," the Professor said, her voice matching her strict demeanor quite nicely. "I'll take them from here."

"Okay. It was nice meetin' you new students," Hagrid told the group as he began to retreat, his eyes lingering on Harry once more. He pretended he didn't see him, and turned to Malfoy instead.

"Ready to go?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Harry replied. "Let's go!"

They stepped into the main hallway of Hogwarts, and Harry looked around in awe. The main room itself was big enough to hold a small house, and the walls seemed to murmur with the immense history within the castle, the secrets kept for centuries. His wand tingled in the back of his robe's pocket, as if it had finally found its home.

He continued to follow Draco through the grand room, until they took a sharp turn and landed in a small, empty corridor. The other students all clambered up to see Professor McGonagall's face as she got their attention, and talked a bit about Hogwarts.

"Welcome, students," she started. "The banquet will start very soon, but first I'd like to talk a bit about the sorting and the different houses. The sorting processes is one of the most important in your years here at Hogwarts, as the house you are sorted into will be something like your new home.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin…"

Harry could hardly hear the rest of her words over the student's murmurs and the beating of his own heart, and turned to Draco in excitement.

"I can hardly hear her, but I can't wait to get sorted!" He exclaimed quietly. Draco nodded.

"Me neither! But what she's saying about all the houses being 'great in their own respect' is a load of tosh. Everybody knows that Hufflepuff is just for the ones who don't fit into the other houses." Harry laughed in agreement, even though he didn't quite know what Draco was talking about. "I hope to be put in Slytherin. All of my family's been put there, I guess I can continue the legacy."

"I hope I can get into Slytherin with you, then," He said to him, and smiled.

"Yeah, me too."

An unusual amount of clambering started in the small corridor, and they realized that they were lining up to go off to the Sorting. Draco smiled at Harry reassuringly, and they set off to the dining hall.

Draco and Harry lined up behind each other on the way over, and Harry realized that Crabbe and Goyle were still bumbling behind them. Harry's snarl was apparent this time, and Draco looked concerned.

"What's wrong? You look kind of sick," He asked.

Harry looked over at Crabbe and Goyle pointedly. "They annoy me," He said simply.

"What? Why?" Draco replied, confused." Seem perfectly fine to me…"

"I don't like them," Harry cut him off, a bit more cross. He knew he was being stubborn, but didn't care. Something about them rubbed him the wrong way.

Draco faltered for a minute, but his face rolled into a snarl to match Harry's. "They are a bit slow." He glared over at them. "Beat it." They looked over at him sadly, but slowly nodded and wandered to another spot in the line.

Harry was surprised with the amount of power Draco could hold with only his words. He sent the two boys off with two words quicker than Harry could have with glares all day. He was impressed.

Draco smiled contentedly. "That's better?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

The doors opened to the Dining Hall, and the soft light of thousands of floating candles shown on the incoming student's faces. The rest of the Hogwarts students stared from long tables, and Harry stared back at them at like a deer in headlights.

The first years slowly filtered in until they all reached the other side of the building where a long table perpendicular to the others held all of the professors. One of the teachers caught Harry's attention. He had chin-length, greasy black hair, but that wasn't what Harry stared at him for. It was his piercing brown eyes that seemed to be staring directly at him, studying him almost. As soon as the professor's eyes met his, the man seemed a bit startled, but continued to stare. Harry could sense sadness lurking in his eyes. He looked away quickly and back to the action in front of him.

Professor McGonagall set a stool and a battered-old looking hat out in front of the youngest students, and many of them looked around confusedly. _Is this the sorting hat? _Harry mouthed to Draco, and he nodded in return. Silence resumed the great halls, and all eyes were on the hat. It rustled, and began to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all…"

The song continued on, and Harry looked on in awe. _Magic indeed, _he thought to himself as he followed the journey the hat illuminated through rhyme. As soon as the song ended and the applause slowed, the hat fell silent and the Professor began to call out names. Each student heeded the hat's instructions, and put the hat on. In no time each student was announced their house by the hat, and they scurried off to their corresponding table. No shortage of cheers and claps was each student granted as their new house greeted them.

Finally Morag MacDougal clambered over to his house, and Draco's name was called. He kept on a brace face, but Harry could tell that he was nervous

"Wish me luck, Potter, eh?" He said good-naturedly even through his trembles. Harry smiled and nodded.

Not a second after he sat on the stool, the hat bellowed "SLYTHERIN!" to the crowd. Draco couldn't hide his smile behind his cool persona as he walked towards the cheers meeting him at the Slytherin table, and Harry gave him the thumbs-up. The list went on, and Harry's heart went on beating faster and faster. ,and then finally:

"Potter, Harry!"

The whole world seemed to stop as Harry slowly stood up and walked over to the stool. He could feel all of the eyes on him. Whispers followed as well. _Potter? Did they say Harry Potter? _The voices travelled quickly, and soon everybody was murmuring as all the students bobbed around to look at him, many eyes fixedly at his forehead. Harry looked away towards the Professor's table.

Strangely enough, he felt the brown-eyed professor staring intently at him as well. It looked as though he was depending on the results of the Hat, although which results he was hoping for Harry didn't know. For some reason he hoped he got what the Professor wanted, though.

The hat was fitted onto his head, and it fell past his ears as he was enveloped in darkness. He jumped when he heard a voice in his ear.

"_Hmm, yes, yes… Interesting, very interesting…"_ The voice came from the hat itself, and seemed to be filing through his brain, looking into the nooks and crannies, and piecing the information together. "_Courage, I see a lot of courage… Bravery, both great Gryffindor traits. But oh, very cunning, you strive to prove yourself, an interesting blend…"_

_Slytherin, Slytherin, please Slytherin, _Harry pleaded in his mind.

"_Slytherin, you plead?_" The hat asked him, and it seemed to be smirking in his mind. "_But what about that courage? Many Gryffindor traits in here, many indeed…"_

_Slytherin, Slytherin… _Harry continued to chant.

"_You sure?_" The hat talked once more. "_Well, if you're so certain, I suppose I can't get in your way on that one That is one of the traits of that house, I think you'll it right in."_

"SLYTHERIN!"


End file.
